Posts Tagged colette negroni shirt

Firstly, thanks to everybody who kept their fingers crossed for the safe and timely arrival of the other half of the Tialys clan this Christmas. It worked!!

As you know, secret sewing (and crochet) projects had been in progress for a little while leading up to Christmas and I can now reveal the results – both good and bad.

I had acquired some cute Peter Rabbit fabric and, as the quote says ‘Too Much Lettuce Makes Me Sleepy’, what else could I make but pyjamas?

I chose a New Look pattern I’d used before but only had enough to make the shorts.

I did have enough to make some bias binding though ….

…….and some white broderie anglaise in my stash so used the free Colette Sorbetto pattern to make a little top to complete the set.

That was Mlle Tialys the Elder sorted but what about the Younger? Well, she’s a bit of a home body and sometimes wraps a blanket round her shoulders when sitting at the desktop. I thought a shawl would be a bit more elegant so I downloaded the free pattern for the Grinda Shawl which is rather beautiful but, as I found out, more challenging than I expected as the yarn is finer than I’m used to using for crochet and the stitches more lacy.

This is as far as I got and that’s after frogging it on numerous occasions.

It soon became obvious I wasn’t going to finish it in time for Christmas. I have since become more adept and no longer feel like flinging it in the nearest bin so, hopefully, it will be ready for her birthday in February.

In the meantime, I needed something quick and it was a good opportunity to use some fleece that has been taking up room in my stash for some time.

I didn’t have enough for a top and anyway, she would have looked like the Michelin Man with both pieces of the pyjamas in such thick fleece so I bought an RTW top in thinner fabric which matches well enough to make a set.

‘But‘, I hear you ask, ‘these projects don’t explain the mangled looking piece of fabric you showed us and asked us to guess what it was going to be.’

Well, Kate’s guess was the closest because she said – and I quote – ‘is it one of those complicated lined garments where you turn it inside out through the shoulder seam?’

Yes! It is.

You join the inside and outside yokes together (I made the inside yoke in contrasting fabric), rolling up the fronts inside, like a burrito, and then pull it all out the right way. It’s one of those magic things you can’t believe is going to work – until it does.

The fabric is a chambray and, as Mr. T. already has a dark blue shirt with a similar floral design, I was fairly confident he’d like it. I used some scraps of Liberty tana lawn to face the inside yoke and the cuffs.

I was going to use ordinary buttons but thought pearl snaps would be a nice touch. The installation of these was hit and miss as I hammered a bit too hard occasionally and, on my first try, didn’t line them up properly and had to take those on one side out again which was a bit scary.

I had made the shirt before as a short sleeved muslin so it was my first time making sleeve plackets and cuffs and I was quite pleased with how they came out.

I used the Colette pattern here and, as well as using their instructions which are very good, I followed a sew along over at Male Pattern Boldness which was also very helpful.

I feel as if my sewing skills have moved up a level over the past year or so. Better late than never I suppose!

So much so that, next year – in another ‘never say never’ project – I am going to embark upon a coat. Yes, you heard it right. I know I said I’d never make jeans or a coat and, even though I haven’t shown you the jeans yet, as soon as I can get them on again after my Christmas indulgences, I will.

Mr. Tialys has not yet worn his shirt because I need to make an adjustment to the top stud which isn’t staying closed (heavy handed use of the hammer again probably) so, no photo of him but here’s Mlle T. the Elder sporting her new P.J.s and ending my final blog post of the year by wishing you all a very peaceful, prosperous, healthy, happy 2019 .